Lost Control
by oXXb00kw0rmXXo
Summary: Tyler Crowley lost control of the van. Alice Cullen lost control of the future. Charlie Swan lost control of his life. Now, his daughter, Bella Swan, is losing control of her humanity, her heart, and her soul.
1. Prologue

**So, you have hopefully all been awaiting my new story- and here it is. Just so you know, I picked none of the titles in my poll. Of course, that is subject to change. I was going to do Wolf Blood, but... a) I just gave you a major spoiler and b) I would have nothing to write in the summary without giving it all away. I was falling alseep, trying to think up a summary and this popped up. Here it is! This starts off as a What If story, but diverges very far... it just goes to show how much something will change with one little detail.**

**Enjoy! And no, before the story goes on and you all ask, this is not BxJ. I won't tell you if it's BxE though... Just not BxJ.**

**Dedications: I would love to dedicate this story and prologue to my wonderf ul readers, reviewers, and my AWESOME beta, MikalahStarrUley and my kinda beta, PoisionedRoses, who was supposed to be my second beta, but never made that connection thing with the DocX (Note: Do it now! Please?). I would also like to thank Twilight Lexicon for becoming my new BFF during this time. **

**I am trying to keep this as canon as possible, so let me know if I'm off.I've been checking the website for EVERYTHING! Did you know that Alice actually calls Jasper "Jazz" on occasions? But only Alice can get away with it. And Emmett can call Rosalie "Rose" and the others can occasionally slip by the radar. I never knew that, I thought it was simply off limits for Jazz and I tried to keep everyone but Emmett from saying Rose in all my other stories. Ah, the things you learn from Twilight Lexicon and the Personal Correspondances. I am also trying to stay very hard in character. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Now, enjoy as I sulk. (Oh and I've watched the trailer, like, 15 times today!! And I saw a Yellow Porshe on Friday!! Don't own either...)**

* * *

**Prologue**

**Alice POV**

It was a sunny day. And it would be tomorrow as well. A shame, really- it had just snowed. I longed to go to school and participate in what would likely be the first and obviously best snow ball fight. I couldn't care less that I would need to restrain my strength to do so- I wanted to _play_, to be a _kid_, to make up for those years of loss! Still, the sun forbade that.

Edward's music swam around me as I stared longingly out the window. The sweet melody rang through my ears and I smiled. This song was my favorite. It always cheered me up- almost as much as Jasper did. Edward obviously knew that I was upset from reading my thoughts, and was on a quest to make me happier.

_Thanks,_ I thought and he nodded, never taking his eyes off the ivory keys.

I stood to go join Rosalie in the garage. She always was willing to tell me about her childhood. As vain and petty as she was then, she had a childhood and that was something she always delighted in sharing with me.

I could hear the crashed from the shaded backyard, where Emmett and Jasper were wrestling. As Emmett let out a swear, the door upstairs in Carlisle and Esme's room shut closed. I reached out to open the door, but froze. A vision.

_A van crashes into a body of a girl. She lies on the ground, bleeding terribly. The driver of the van is injured as well, but not as severely as the girl. The ambulance comes and loads the unconscious girl before speeding off to the hospital._

I gasped for air as the visions enclosed me. My eyes clouded over, not from tears, but from sights, from the future. Now it took place somewhere else. In the back of my mind, I knew that Edward was supporting me from falling, but it made no difference. I was not in time, not in space.

_The hospital was giving her blood transfusions. The blood was pumping into her body. And then, her future disappeared._

Slowly, shaking, I opened my eyes. I was on the ground and my family was surrounding me. I recognized the girl. If I was human, I surely would have thrown up or at least burst into tears.

"Alice, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, bending down beside me. I numbly nodded and found my footing. Jasper stepped forward to take my hand and I leaned against him appreciatively.

"It's never been this bad before!" Esme noted. "Half the time we can't even tell. But now… just now you were shrieking and screaming." I gulped and the vile taste of venom slid down my throat.

"I know. It's fine, everything is okay." In my head I chanted _it's okay, it's okay, everything is perfectly okay._

"What happened?" Edward questioned, obviously knowing that it wasn't okay.

"Well," I forced out. "I don't think you need to worry about killing Bella Swan any more."

* * *

**Two Days Later**

**Bella POV**

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

My eyes slowly opened and I winced at the bright light. The smell of hospital overcame me and I suddenly remembered what had happened. I had gotten hit by Tyler Crowley's van. What a wonderful way to start the winter, huh?

"Ah, Bella! You're awake!" a doctor said a bit too loudly, walking into my room with definite grace. I struggled to focus my eyes and I saw him- he was _gorgeous!_ And I'm not the superficial type, honest, but it was hard to ignore. Instead of gaping at his beauty, I questioned his knowledge of my nickname. Everyone who didn't know me personally called me Isabella.

"How do you-" I gulped hard, the saliva making my dry throat burn. "How do you know I like to be called Bella?" I was panting from the effort. That accident must have taken a lot from me.

"I have kids that go to Forks High School," the doctor laughed, picking up a clipboard that lay nearby. "Edward mentioned you once… he sits next to you in Biology. At least that's what he said, I don't know for sure. He _could_ be lying. Then again, I doubt that he was lying about that conversation he had with you on Monday."

"How do you-" he cut me off. Boy, did Cullen tell this guy everything?

"Alice bullied it out of him. I just happened to be nearby when she wrestled him into the wall… or rather, _he_ tackled her to the ground when she nearly knocked down his CD collection and she defended herself. Or perhaps it was the other way around… I couldn't really keep track." The doctor smiled pleasantly and began to check the scans and papers.

"So you're Dr. Cullen?" I asked, the names finally clicking.

"Uh-huh. But you can call me Carlisle," he offered as he took out a vial for blood tests. I gave it a wary look. He misinterpreted it. "Or… Dr. Cullen is just fine."

"No, no, it's not that, it's that blood vial," I explained, my voice finally rid of its scratchiness. My throat was still dry, but it wasn't as bad as before. "I don't like blood. The smell makes me faint." The doctor sighed and thought for a moment.

"Well, Bella, we really do need to get this blood test done. You needed a blood transfusion; I need to make sure that your body isn't rejecting it. And it's not much, it's a small vial. How about you hold your nose and look away with one hand and give me the other?" I sighed and offered him the hand that the IV was in. With the other I pinched my nose and looked down. Carlisle laughed when he was done taking the blood.

"What is it?" I asked, putting my hand down. He just shook his head and signaled as if to let it go. "Tell me!" I demanded.

"It's nothing, it's just that you remind me of Edward at times… he's not very patient either, especially when waiting for somebody to tell their thoughts. You two would probably get along well… that is, if you were staying in Forks."

"What do you mean? I _am_ staying in Forks, aren't I?" He shook his head sullenly. Why was he so sad about this? Wasn't I going home with Charlie?

"Renee, do you mind? Bella is awake; I think you ought to tell her. Billy, if you want, I suppose you can come too."

My mother came rushing in, tears apparent in her eyes. Billy, Charlie's old fishing friend, followed in his wheelchair. Carlisle stepped back, his jaw clamped shut and his eyes wary of the graying man. He slipped silently out of the room.

"Oh, Bella, thank goodness. I was afraid to lose you… imagine, both of you gone on the same day!" Renee sobbed uncontrollably.

"Lose both of us? But-"

"Charlie's dead," Billy said in a hollow voice. "The cruiser was rushing… it was rushing to get to the school after it all happened. And then… well, he forgot to put on the ice tires… and the car… Bella, I am so sorry."

Charlie was dead. The car had crashed and it was because the ice tires were on _my_ car. Tears welled up in my eyes. Sure, I had never really been close to Charlie, but he was my father! I loved him! And now he was dead. Renee pressed me up against her, ignoring all the wires and machine attached to me, and let me cry. I cried for a long time. I cried for Charlie. I cried for me. I cried for the fact that my father never even got to see me off to graduation. I cried until I had no tears left to cry.

* * *

**Alright, alright, guilty as charged- Edward is the self loathing one, not Bella. She'll get over it, but there's always the bit inside of her that says it was her fault. So... yeah. Have you figured anything out yet? Any theories? I wanna hear! **

**In honor of this (yes, this is my big new story that I am IN LOVE WITH!) I am making a forum about What If situations. It will be called "If It Was Sunny". Review please!**


	2. Living Nightmares

**Short chapter. Sorry. Just a warning, most will be pretty short. But don't worry, I won't post a chapter that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot! Each will advance it a little. And... omg, you like it, you really, really like it! Now just look at all the stuff that's happening in Forks to Bella- just because it was sunny! It just goes to show how the tiniest thing could change the future. Hints and clues to future story plot all throughout the chapter! Please, I truly do love to hear your theories and predictions! If I don't reply, there's a slight chance you're onto something... I have a tendency to give too much away which is why I'm going to stop writing right now...**

**I'd like to thank MakalahUleyStarr, my beta, and all you reviewers/readers out there!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or 20Q... though I would love to own one of those. Either, one, really! 20Q is sooo fun to play, and well, Twilight is... Twilight. Unfortunately, Stephenie refuses to bargain since I messed up her story plot with this. And I don't have time to go and buy myself a 20Q ball, which is why I am constantly borrowing my brother's. Oh and Artemis- the online version is fun! I think we won for all the Cullens, right? except Edward... I can't really remember.**

* * *

Bella POV

"When you're all better, we'll go home," Renee comforted as my sobs came to a halt. "We'll go to Jacksonville, okay sweetheart?"

"No," I gasped. If you asked me what I was thinking when I said this, I would have no idea. I am trying to figure that out to this day. "I want to stay in Forks. I came here so you and Phil could be happy… Dad not being here won't make a difference, I won't take a toll on your happiness."

"Oh, Bella," my mother sighed. "Bella, I want you to be safe and happy. Where will you go? Where will you live? _How_ will you live? My happiness depends on yours. I want you to be happy, sweetheart, please!"

"I'll take her in." I looked up, startled by the voice. I had nearly forgotten that Billy Black was in here. "I have a son, Jacob, who's a few years younger. And I have two daughters that are a few years older. When they left, the house got pretty lonely. Renee, if you remember correctly, I _am_ her godfather, so if it's okay with you, Bella can surely live with me."

Renee's face flooded with relief. She understood my need to stay in Forks, where my father's memory lies. La Push was close enough.

"Is that okay with you?" Billy questioned sincerely. I nodded, tears flooding my eyes again.

"It's great. Thank you," I managed to choke out before breaking into sobs.

My mom and Billy stayed with me for a long, long time. Every few hours, Carlisle would come in and work with the machines, do a check up, and bring me something to eat. The room always became tense when he walked in- I had no idea why. I thought he was a pretty pleasant guy.

At one point, Billy's son came to visit.

"Hey, Dad," he had said when he walked in the room. The boy turned to me and smiled. "Hey, Bella. I'm Jacob if you don't remember… you probably don't, we were pretty little then."

"No, no, I don't remember, at least not well enough for your name," I admitted weakly. The day had definitely tired me out and I sagged against my pillows.

"So… Wanna play 20 Questions? I have that 20Q Ball!" Jacob offered enthusiastically as the adults went aside to make arrangements. He pulled a red ball dramatically out of his pocket; it immediately began to beep and make music. I grinned, giggling at his "magician act."

We played for at least a half hour, winning only once or twice. Carlisle walked in to check on me and smiled.

"Hi, Bella, how are you feeling?" he asked conversationally, glancing at the monitors.

"Tired, I guess… a bit woozy, but nothing much. I feel like I just got ran over by a truck, but considering recent events, that's not far off." I shrugged and Carlisle and Jacob laughed.

"You should begin to lose that wooziness in a few days… and that tiredness as well. You'll probably need to wear the casts for a few weeks. The arm cast should be able to come off in two months and your leg cast in two and a half."

"At least I'm a righty," I sighed, itching my left arm. The cast was itchy.

"Oh, yes, and Bella, do you mind visitors now? Other than the ones already here? I wasn't aware you knew my children that well, especially Alice- she's insisting on seeing you. And besides them, there are Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber, Eric Yorkie, and Ben Cheney. Tyler Crowley would have come, he says, but seeing as he is currently occupying a hospital bed down the hall, that is pretty much impossible."

"It's okay, I guess," I told him sleepily and he grimaced.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that. Ah, well. The Cullen clan will wait for tomorrow, but your friends from school might as well visit you now." Just then, Edward and Alice Cullen walked- glided is a better word- into the room.

"Carlisle, we need to talk," Edward insisted and I couldn't help but stare. The boy whose mood was different every time I saw him- it was amazing.

"Can we wait?" the doctor asked tensely, his eyes darting towards Billy and Jacob Black. Alice took a look, but it didn't seem to faze her. I don't know why it should have, but it didn't.

"Carlisle, _please!_ This is urgent! My information is more urgent!" Alice demanded and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Alice, I have something that is surprisingly more important than what you need to say!"

"Edward, please, don't mess with me. I will make your life a living nightmare if you do." Alice looked kind of scary there, her eyes flashing with malice. Edward seemed unconcerned.

"It already is. And you said that last night! You say that every time we argue!" I giggled as Carlisle mumbled "Teenagers," under his breath.

"Maybe I did, but that doesn't matter. Besides, _I_ have people who will side with me no matter what."

"Name them."

"Let's see… Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett- since he'll obviously do anything Rosalie does, maybe Carlisle is he'd actually listen to me for more than three seconds, and Esme… maybe. But no matter what, I have Jasper! And who do you have for sure? Nobody! Come on, Edward, admit it- the only passion you've ever held for anything was for your piano."

"That's not true! And what is it, Pick on Edward Day? How many times have you and Rosalie made jokes today? That's _not_ counting Emmett and Jasper's gambling and Carlisle and Esme's "private" conversations about me."

"You're the problem child, let it be!"

"Got it!" Carlisle said happily, straightening up, holding a vial of blood. "And you two, stop fighting, please! Edward, Esme and I do not talk about you behind your back."

"When did you get that?" I gasped as Jacob laughed hysterically beside me.

"He took the blood while they were fighting..." he panted. "You didn't even notice!"

The tall blonde Cullen, Jasper, strode into the room quietly and slung his arm around Alice's waist. She had just seemed to notice me and her eyes were filled with confusion and relief.

"Thank goodness, Jasper, you're here! Please get your wretched girlfriend away from me!" Edward moaned, grabbing onto Jasper's arm and begging. "I don't understand how somebody so tiny can be so annoying!"

"I just came to say that there is a crowd of Forks high-schoolers standing outside the door like it's a concert that will start in five minutes." Jasper spoke calmly, his expression blank. He was cut off from the world and seemed to avoid looking me in the face. "I'll take Alice and the problem child out now. Edward, come on, before we need to put you into the physiatrist ward."

"Hahaha, you're so funny. C'mon, let's go. I have homework I need to finish," Edward finished the conversation on a sarcastic note and followed the couple out the door. Barely seconds later, a stream of my classmates came rushing in. Jacob had just enough time to leap off my bed.

"Oh, Bella, thank goodness you're okay! Can you believe that they wouldn't let me in at first? They said you had to be family!" Jessica began to tell her tale. "So then I told them that we're like, best friends, and that I totally needed to see you. Oh, and Lauren is still with Tyler, she said that she didn't want him getting lonely."

"Bella, I promise, if you need any help getting to class with your books, I'd be glad to help," Mike offered and soon Eric was offering as well.

"Hope you're okay," was Ben's quiet comment.

"Are you going to be alright? When are you coming back to school?" Angela asked me kindly.

"I-I'm not coming back," I admitted after quite a bit of prodding. It was then that Jacob got up from a chair on the side and joined us.

"Bella's moving in with me and my dad since Chief Swan… well, yeah," he explained as I sagged against my pillows. It was only early evening, but I wanted to sleep! "She'll be going to the La Push school. It's just easier and much more convenient. I'm sure you guys could come over any time and once Bella's healed, she can go to you."

My friends nodded, looking a bit upset. Jessica was probably annoyed because of all the attention being drawn away from her, Mike and Eric because it would be harder to ask me out, and Angela and Ben because they were sincerely sad.

* * *

By the time they streamed out and Jacob had picked up his nonsensical babble, I could hear arguing of Cullen siblings this time. Now it wasn't just Alice and Edward, it was all five of them.

I tuned out my new friend to listen close. Carlisle was gone, so I figured that he might have a part in this too.

"She's _supposed_ to be dead," Alice insisted.

"Well, she's not, deal with it and get over it!" a male voice I hadn't heard huffed. I guessed it was Emmett.

"But the problem is that she's _still_ not showing up," Edward spoke, concerned.

"She's just human, it's not like it matters to us," Rosalie persuaded. "Forget about it, Alice."

"She's got a point though, Rosalie! This girl is immune to both Alice and Edward! _How?_ It used to be just Edward, but now Alice can't see her. It's a huge problem," Jasper sighed, concerned about something.

"Then kill her and get it over with!" Rosalie's words scared me. Kill who? Why would these "perfect," well behaved Cullen kids kill someone?

"It's not that easy, Rosalie!" Edward insisted and I heard Jasper's chuckle.

"What is it? What's so funny?" Rosalie scolded the boy. His chuckles grew louder until his siblings quieted him with a quick _sh!_

"Edward's in love. Isn't it obvious? It wasn't _just_ her blood, it's the rest of her too! So tell me, _Eddie_, what do you like best? Her blood, her personality, her intellect, or her body?"

"First of all, don't call me Eddie," Edward growled before his voice turned love struck. "Second of all… I'm not sure. A tie, I think…"

"Definitely in love." I could practically _hear_ Jasper smiling. As the Cullen siblings oohed and ahhed over his newfound interest in _someone_ (this excluded Rosalie, who didn't seem to approve) I wondered who the lucky girl would be.

"Well then," Rosalie contemplated when they had all stopped talking. "This makes is much more difficult. First she's moving to La Push and now Edward's in love. Disposing of Bella Swan is going to be extremely hard- but I'll figure it out either way."

Once the words reached my ears I dropped back suddenly onto my bed. I vaguely heard the screams of Renee and the shouts for a doctor from Billy and Jacob before passing out.

* * *

Mini cliffy! Oh! DON'T KILL ME! I kept Bella alive, isn't that enough? There are plenty of plot directions I could go that wouldn't have it that way, aren't there? Sitting in the garage with Jacob as he works on the Rabbit and KABOOM! The engine or something explodes and kills them both. So... don't try to kill me, okay? Oh and the more reviews I get, the more tempted for a happy ending I am (I really don't wanna do that though! I like writing sad pieces! I killed Carlisle in one story... I killed Bella, Edward, Alice, and Jasper in another...I really am good at killing them off. I have Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme before I have the Cullens gone! Oh yeah, and I killed Charlie.) So review!


	3. In the Clouds

**Do not worry. Bella is fine. I am alive. I have not ditched you all. And, to tell you the truth, Bella just got so scared by Rosalie's words, she stopped breathing and passed out. That's all!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the Twilight Lexicon which I now love thaks to this story!**

* * *

**Alice POV**

"You will do no such thing," Edward hissed too low for humans to hear just as screams were heard from the room. Edward's eye went frantic and he raced into the room, leaving the rest of us looking like idiots in the hallway.

Well, I, Alice Cullen (sometimes Whitlock or Hale, it depends on Jasper's story) is _not_ an idiot and I will refuse to look like one! I followed Edward into the room while I sent my siblings away.

"Is everything alright? What's going on?" I asked, glancing over at an unconscious girl on the bed.

"She passed out… will you get Carlisle? I'm not qualified to treat a patient!" Edward said seriously, his gold eyes concerned. Normally I would tease him, but at this point, there was no time for that. How ironic. A vampire who has nothing but time has no time. I glanced wishfully at Bella, wishing that I could pass out, just once, and pass some time.

"I'm here," my father said, sweeping into the room. If he was wearing a long coat he surely would have looked like a bat.

"Treat her, please! Will she be okay?" Bella's mother cried as that Jacob Black boy tried to calm her. His father, Billy, was seated in a wheelchair to the side.

"She will be fine, don't worry a bit," Carlisle comforted as Bella came to. She spotted us and her eyes went frantic. She kept her body calm and woozy.

Carlisle noticed. "If your last name is Cullen and you're not me, then kindly leave," he ordered. I sighed and turned on my heel, rolling my eyes. Edward followed, but I could hear his mutters.

"Not a Cullen… at least not technically…"

_You haven't been a Masen for decades, get over it! Isn't Rosalie the one clinging to her human life?_ Boys at times!

* * *

_**Two and a half weeks later**_

**Bella POV**

"Here, Bella, come on, we want to show you your room!" Jacob was bouncing around, excited for my move in.

"Jake, calm down. Bella, let's get you into some pajamas and into bed," Billy probed and I hobbled on my crutches through the halls. The Black house was warm and felt comfortable, as if I belonged. It would take a while to get comfortable, though.

Charlie's funeral had just been held and Renee was now on her way home. I had sobbed the way through, knowing deep down that it was all my fault.

Jacob ran in front of my reveal the room. As soon as I was standing by the door, he swung it open. As you can tell, he was a little impatient.

The room was a light, sky blue. The ceiling was also this color with white, puffy clouds surrounding the edges and a wide, bright sun "shining" down. My boxes were piled all around, but besides that, there was a white wooden bunk bed with a yellow comforters. The rest of the furniture was scattered around, yet in a perfect way. In the corner was my rocking chair.

"This was the twins' room before they moved out. Sarah painted it- she loved the color. She felt that the girls needed a room with sun instead of rain," Billy explained in almost a whisper. He gave me a sad, half smiled and I gave one back. I knew what it was like for a loved one to die. I understood.

"I love it," I whispered, tears on my lashes. "It's perfect. Thank you, Billy, really… thank you."

He smiled and recovered quickly. "Jake and I started cleaning out your room. We saved it all, just in case, but we thought the chair would be a nice touch. When you're all better, we'll go through the rest of the house, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah that's great… Do you mind if I just rest a little?" I wanted to help but in truth, I was exhausted. Billy noticed and urged me to lay down. I obliged without a fight.

He rolled his way up to the bed once I was in sweats and situated.

"Bella, I don't want to bother you, but how well do you know the Cullens? What do you know about them?" he asked me kindly, but I picked up on a note of urgency.

"I don't know them well, but they seem nice… well, most of them do. Edward hates me, I don't even know why, and Rosalie is just standoffish. I know that they're all adopted, that Rosalie and Jasper are twins, and that they-" I broke off. I was about to say "gorgeous." I had gotten a little carried away with my descriptions. Billy probed for more.

"And?"

"A-and they go camping all the time. Every sunny day we get here in Forks."

"And you've spoken to the Cullens? Other than the father?" Billy pressed, looking concerned.

"Yes, Edward spoke to me in Biology. We had a conversation."

"I thought he hated you!"

"I don't know, really. He switches on and off. Anyhow, we talked about the snow, why I was in Forks if I hated the cold, that kind of stuff. He wouldn't answer any questions about _him_," I realized halfway through my monologue. "Why do you ask?"

"I do not want you to speak to the Cullens again. They already know too much about you. Please, Bella, this is important, so listen close. I won't go into detail- it's too long. In short, the Cullens are vampires." I snorted, suddenly wide awake.

"Vampires? Billy, please, the Cullens couldn't be vampires! They- they don't have fangs! And what about going outside during the day? My dad told me that everyone is suspicious, but he is- was, the police chief and he thinks that they're fine!" The painful memory of my conversation with Charlie came to the surface and tears flooded.

"They can and they are… alright, you don't believe me, fine, neither does Jake… do me a favor though? Stay in La Push as much as possible."

"Fine. I will," I gave in. "But why would you think that there are vampires in _Forks_? Of all places, wouldn't vampires choose _here!_ Why not Transylvania or something?"

"I don't know," Billy admitted. "But they're here. There are legends. Not now, Bella, you must be tired. Sleep, please."

I rolled over, scratching my leg and arm. I adjusted the blankets over my casts and stared at the blue wall. Something was strange about the Cullen kids, that was true. What struck me as odd was that Billy had called them _vampires_. Stuck up, rich, snotty- yeah, that's one thing. But vampires? Killers? That's another.

Then again, I had heard Rosalie. _"Then kill her and get it over with!"_ Did she mean it in the literal sense? They had said that I was "just a human." Did that mean that they weren't? There certainly was something inhuman about them, but I refused to admit that it was because they were murderers.

I pushed the thought aside. I was determined to not think of the Cullens again. People have always told me that I was stubborn. It was time to test if I could be so towards myself.

I drifted off to sleep, tears wetting my face.

* * *

**And the truth is revealed! Haha... well, I actually have no more written... that was why there was such a wait. I have had major writers block and I have also been stuck on a comedy fic for a challenge (check it out, Chaos with the Cullens!). Anyhow, I was just curious... how old do you all think I am? Based on my writing and all... Just wondering! Don't expect real answers... I may hint or so, but I don't give personal info online. Either way, I hope you liked it! Review!**


	4. Through the Months

Ok, so I know I've been forever. There must be a problem with my beta connection, because she keeps sending it back, but I'm not getting it!! So, I'm just posting it now, unedited, and when I finally figure it out, I'll repost the edited version. In case you didn't know, I now have another AU, another what if scenario. It's posted, it's called Forever Forbidden, and it's Jasper centric- how awesome??

Anyhow, action is picking up NEXT chapter (same story with the beta thing) and I will be posting it either tomorrow or later today. Why? Well, read on and you'll find out. I was hoping for a bigger gap, but oh well! This is mainly a filler, so you deserve it!

Dedicated to my beta MikalahStarrUley, who is my beta! Whoo! Round of applause! She betaed it, I just didn't get it - I'm positive she did!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I just like ruining the characters' lives :)

* * *

**February**

"Bella! Bella, wake up!" Jacob was pretty much bouncing on my bed, as he did every morning for the past week. "Wake up, wake up, it's time for school, you gotta wake up if you wanna eat!"

I groaned and pushed him into a lump on the ground. _School_. This would be my third first day this year. Doesn't a girl get a break?

"Bella!! Are you going to sit and stare at the wall or what? Get up!" Jacob laughed before dashing off to the kitchen. I smiled and slowly lifted myself into my wheelchair. The Blacks had acquired one for me after it was obvious that I couldn't walk in my cast (I could barely walk _without_ my cast). It had been a few weeks and I felt right at home.

After I rolled into the bathroom and got myself ready, I managed to get to the kitchen. Jake was still jumping around. He had a coffee thermos in his hand now.

"Sorry, Bells," Billy apologized, gesturing to the boy. "He made the coffee himself and- Jake, be careful!" The coffee was all over the ground. Billy sighed and grabbed a towel. He shoved it gently into his son's hands. "Clean it up, Jake. Please. You need to drive both of you to school. And don't forget about Quil and Embry this time!"

"Jeez, Dad, it was once!" Jacob insisted, mopping up the light brown liquid.

"Once this week! Jacob, it's Tuesday!" Jake had been getting into this nasty habit of forgetting to pick up his friends on the way to school. Quil hadn't been very happy when he had to walk a mile in the pouring rain. And Embry hadn't been too happy about walking double that amount!

"Sure, sure, right, I get it. Quil and Embry. Pick them up. Got it. Hey, Bella, catch!" He tossed me something that looked like a flying disk- it was a bagel. Uncoordinated as I am, I missed by a mile and got hit squarely in the face.

"Ow…" Jacob laughed hysterically as I gingerly tested my nose. It seemed alright. I retaliated by rolling right past him to the door. I made sure to hit his feet on the way. As he howled in pain, I grabbed my book bag and made my way out the door. He soon followed, hot on my wheels.

* * *

"So… welcome to La Push High!" Jake said dramatically, pushing my chair into a small building- it was even smaller than Forks High. I was escorted by him, Quil, and Embry to the office, where I collected my schedule. The three boys left me to feign for myself and I rolled my way through the halls. It was really inconvenient- not only did I need to use my full concentration on not rolling into a wall, but it attracted a lot of attention. I couldn't _wait_ to be out of it!

I rolled into my first period class, trying very hard to be inconspicuous. It didn't work. I was directed to the back of the room, in the corner so it would be easy for me to roll in. There was a large corner in the back- perfect for the U-turns I needed.

"Hi," a girl with long, black hair swept back in a ponytail greeted. She sat beside me, doodling into her notebook. "I'm Kim. You must be Bella Swan."

"Hi," I greeted back. "So… um… is this class hard?" I was a bit nervous about the teachers, not that I ever really had a problem.

"Depends. If you pay attention, it's not difficult. But if you're good at daydreaming… well, you better watch out." She sighed and continued drawing. I guessed that she was the daydreaming type.

"Who sits there?" I pointed to the empty desk beside her and she sighed.

"That's Jared, but he's been out for _ages_. He's wonderful though…" I smiled at her infatuated look.

"Are you friends?" I asked. I wasn't usually this nosy, but I needed to start over _again_. I was desperate for human interaction outside of the Blacks and my mother.

"No," Kim frowned bitterly. "He barely knows I exist! So, what happened with your leg… and arm?"

"Got ran over by a van," I explained briefly. She nodded, eyebrows raised.

"Miss Swan, Miss Kramer, please pay attention!" the teacher yelled just loud enough for me to jump. I blushed and sheepishly turned my notebook to the first page. Kim just cocked her head and pretended to listen, still drawing.

A note flew into my pencil's path. I opened it carefully, making sure not to attract attention.

_Eat lunch with me and my friends?_ I looked up to see Kim watching me out of the corner of her eyes. I gave her a sharp nod and she smiled. I think I had just made a friend.

* * *

**March**

By now, I had fallen into a pattern. The casts were due to be off and Jake and I had formed a strong friendship. Nothing romantic, though I'm sure he intended it to be that way, at least at first. No, we were more like siblings.

Jared had come back to school. Kim was ecstatic, but he always seemed to be late- that means no first period. Mr. Miles was a tough teacher and if you were late, you were locked out. So, I hadn't gotten to meet him.

Kim had introduced me to her two best friends, Hailey and Lisa. They had accepted me immediately into their little group. They found Quil, Embry, and Jake endearing, however annoying the little brats could be.

Okay, maybe not so little- they were growing every day! On the other hand, so was I. I couldn't really understand _why_- I had stopped growing years ago. Unfortunately, I was sure that the growth would make me klutzier than ever. I wasn't eager to give that theory a try- thank goodness for wheelchairs!

Speaking of wheelchairs…my bones were healing quicker than they should. By the beginning of March, the casts were both ready to come off. Doctor Cullen had taken them off, a little uneasily. Billy had been watching him like a hawk. I made my comments brief and tried not to hold conversation. It was _hard_. I had no idea how stubborn I could be though, and I persevered. I didn't really _want_ to listen to Billy about something like that, but the Cullens weren't human- I was sure. Vampires was my best bet.

* * *

On the fifth, the day after my casts had been removed, Jake had run into my room, telling me to get the truck ready.

"Forks kids are here! C'mon, let's go to First Beach! Don't you want to see your friends?" he had shouted, arousing me from my deep reading. I sighed and closed the book.

First Beach was fun. I got to see Angela again, and even Jess, though she wasn't as warm as originally. Mike had gone Labrador Retriever on me and Jacob became my over protective brother. Lauren ignored me as I expected and Tyler came rushing forward with apologies.

"Tyler, I'm fine," I insisted as I plopped down next to Jessica. "See? No casts! Hey Jess, how's Forks been?"

"Good," she said icily. "I'm surprised you're interested- that is, after you dropped off the face of the Earth." I gulped. I honestly hadn't meant to lose touch, I just… had.

"Jess, lay off," Angela stuck up for me. "She's been in a cast, a new school, and a new home. Plus, we haven't exactly made effort to get the Black's number, have we?"

And so, Jessica laid off.

* * *

In the middle of the month, a large rainstorm rattled the house with thunder. Booms from a distance were heard, booms that were not accompanied by lightening.

* * *

One day, Jared made it to school on time- I know, I was shocked too. He had deep purple bags under his eyes, and if he were paler, I'd say he was a Cullen! But, no, he was a tan as tan could be in this place. He had plopped down in his seat, glancing ever so slightly at me- I suppose I was still new to him. His eyes quickly slid from me to Kim- and stayed there. Kim was totally oblivious to that fact, still doodling in her notebook. I wanted to let her know, but he was still staring.

That day at lunch, Kim met me, Hailey, and Lisa flushed and excited.

"He asked me out! He did! He noticed me!"

"Who?" Lisa had questioned.

"Is it your future husband, Jared?" Hailey had asked jokingly. I laughed along with her, but was utterly shocked when Kim had squealed.

"Yes! He's taking me out to dinner tonight!"

The next day, Kim had come into school, holding hands with Jared. Things were odd- it seemed so _serious_ about them. Kim was still excited and Jared seemed love struck. But there was a secret- I sensed it.

* * *

**April- June**

April was a boring month. I got a job at Newton's Outfitter's, thanks to Mike. I managed to trek up to Forks every day after school. Things that were once pretty difficult were becoming easy. For one, I could lift heavy stacks and boxes without trouble. It was weird- I was bulking up without doing _anything_. And I was still growing!

May brought the La Push prom. I went with Jacob, just as friends. It was fun, we danced to the fast songs and stuck by the snacks for the slow ones. Granted, I couldn't dance, but Jacob was sweet and helped me (most of the time). At one point he made me twirl- I banged right into Quil, who pushed me into Embry who got pretty annoyed. I got them back though- the next day it was pouring and I refused to give them a ride.

Kim and Jared were still a happy couple. I was surprised it lasted that long, but Kim (and Jared for that matter) were truly in love. It was right out of a romance novel.

June was the month school ended. It didn't end until the 23rd, that's for granted, but it ended. I didn't get to attend the two days of school. Why, you may ask? Because Father's Day came before.

* * *

**AN: Alright, guys, last chance for big guesses. LAST CHANCE! Next chapter, it is all revealed! Seriously, I gave you some of the biggest clues I could have. I probably gave it all away. Please guess? I like seeing what you guys think of the storyline so far, as well... and if you have any idea where it's going. No fear, reappearance of the Cullens in next chapter! Obviously, next chapter covers Father's Day (which is why I'm posting it today or tomorrow). That's a big day for Bella now, desipte that Charlie... well, yeah. OH, and I have a bunch of oneshots where I have completed my goal of killing all the Cullens! In one, I killed them all, Bella, Tanya, Angela, Mike, Jess, Charlie, and... I think there were more, but they might have been unmentioned. Oh yeah, the wolves were GOING to die, but the story ended. Why? Well, you'll see!**


	5. Father's Day

Happy Father's Day! Well, here's the discovery of the big secret... well, not really. The REAL discovery is next chapter. But you can pretty much tell what it is! Things are going to start picking up now! Whoo! And even better - The Cullens are in this chapter! Sorry if they seem a little OOC, just know that Edward and Rosalie have been fighting nonstop since Bella was in the hospital and they just can't take it anymore - they just blew up at eachother. So, there you have it! Dedications at bottom!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

* * *

I had risen early, barely noticing the date. The day seemed as normal as ever. The acrid smell of coffee filled my nose before I even stepped into the kitchen. What I hadn't expected was for Jake to be making it.

Jake slept late on Sundays and Saturdays. He claimed it was to make up for lost sleep during the school week. _I_ think it was just to annoy me. It was weird for him to be awake at this early hour and for Billy to be asleep.

"Where's your dad?" I asked quietly, still groggy with sleep.

"Bed," Jake supplied shortly, loading a tray with breakfast and coffee. He set off towards Billy's room, grabbing a box that was lying on the counter.

I had to force down bile as I figured it out. My vision went blurry and my hands began to tremble. _Father's Day._ Of course! There was one little problem… I had no father. I slipped on jeans and a shirt, grabbed my keys and my wallet, and walked promptly out the door, on my way to work. No wonder I was one of the only ones working today!

* * *

"Hello, what can I do for you?" I asked the costumer, no even looking up to see who is was.

"Do you have any tents around here?" a perfect voice asked. I looked up- it was Rosalie Cullen. The flood of memories came rushing back and I had to force myself to stay calm and smile.

"Second aisle, to the right." She turned and walked away. I breathed heavily as I watched her retreating back. Her boyfriend, Emmett, came running up, little Alice on his heels.

"Rose! Aw, come on, Rose! You don't need to do this!" the burly boy yelled, following the blonde.

"I'm sorry," Alice came up to me, not even the slightest bit breathless. "Rosalie and Edward had a fight and now Rose wants to send him down the river wrapped in a tent, so she's looking for one that's strong enough and-"

"Surely she's not serious!" I insisted, forgetting my own vows. Alice quirked her eyebrows and smiled gravely.

"She's every bit as serious. Her and Edward have a bit of an explosive relationship. On the other hand, Edward is now planning to strand her in the woods and let her get attacked by bears- he's going to tie her to a tree. He should show up soon looking for rope." Sure enough, the bronze haired god came running in. He didn't even ask where it was- he just ran. He must have been here a lot. A car door slammed and out came the rest of the Cullens.

"Edward! Please! Don't kill your sister!" a woman I had never seen before begged. I guessed she was Mrs. Cullen.

Jasper closed his eyes and took deep breaths as Carlisle went to find his son. Him and Emmett cam back less than a moment later, each tugging an angry teenager by the arm.

"Let _go_, Carlisle! I'm not a child!" Edward snarled viciously.

"Emmett, stop it!" Rosalie scolded.

"Both of you, quit fighting!" Alice yelled, stepping between the two clawing siblings. "What is this even about?" Edward's face turned stony and Rosalie glanced quickly in my direction.

"Please, let's go home," Mrs. Cullen pleaded. "It's a holiday, can't we just forget about all this? For today? Give your father a break!"

"You've hit the point, Esme, dear," Carlisle released Edward and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Fathers never get breaks. Especially in this family." Edward's eyes were dark and he stormed past me and the family. Jasper followed suit, as well as Emmett. Alice danced by and Rosalie walked sullenly.

"You may want to close your mouth," she sneered. I shut the mouth I had no idea had dropped. Carlisle huffed and turned to me silently.

"Bella," he said, as if greeting an old friend. I pursed my lips, remembering warnings. If anything, their behaviors were scary. Perhaps not vampire-like- but scary. "It's nice to see you again. I'm awfully sorry about that… how are you doing?" he asked cautiously, probably remembering the date.

"Fine," I replied stiffly. Mrs. Cullen smiled warmly.

"Dear, I know it must be rough- Chief Swan was a great officer, and an honestly good person. If you ever need _anything_, just give the hospital a call- they can give you our number. And never mind Rosalie- she's jealous." I gaped again and breath caught in my chest. Get their number? Was she _trying_ to get me in trouble with Billy? And why was Rosalie, perfect Rosalie, jealous of me?

"I-i-it's fine, really, I'm okay. Thank you though." Mrs. Cullen watched me carefully.

"Carlisle, would you go drive that circus car home? I'll take Edward's Volvo," she said gently, steering the doctor towards to door.

"But… _Edward_ is in Edward's Volvo!" Carlisle protested.

"Kick him out. Tell him that's his punishment for picking fights. Now, _go!_" Carlisle went and it was quiet in the store.

"I'm sorry for their behavior," she began. "They can be… difficult at times. It doesn't help that they always give Edward such a hard time. He's the youngest, so it's to be expected. Him and Alice make a nice team when they don't argue, though…" Mrs. Cullen placed her hand on mine. I shivered- it was icy cold, almost so cold it burned.

"My, you're warm!" she exclaimed. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, but to be truthful, I was feeling a little strange. Not bad strange… just strange.

"If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask." She smiled once more and hurried out the store.

My stomach flipped with uneasiness about the encounter. The problem was, she didn't treat me like a girl she hardly knew- she treated me like an old family friend.

* * *

After Mike had come and relieved me of my shift, I went to visit the cemetery- a visit I had post phoned for a while.

"Dad… I'm sorry," I whispered as I knelt beside his grave. "It was all my fault, really. If I hadn't been here, you wouldn't have rushed to the accident where _I_ got hurt and even if you did, you would have the ice chains and- I'm sorry."

Tears brushed against my cheeks. I wiped them away eagerly and set a bouquet of flowers I had purchased on the ground. I stood and silently brushed the mud from my knees- the rain had picked up again.

"Happy Father's Day," I said to no one. No one, because I was alone.

* * *

I walked back into the house to see Billy and Jacob sitting at the table, eating lunch together. A place was set for me.

"Hey, Bells." Billy spoke softly, as if he was trying to not upset me. "Come, sit, have some lunch." I plopped myself at the table silently and grabbed a sandwich off the plate.

"Please pass the water." Billy passed me the pitcher, and when my hand brushed against his, he nearly dropped it.

"So," he dragged out, clearing his throat. "Anything interesting happen today at work?"

_Interesting… yes,_ I thought. _Worthy of getting me yelled at or lectured… definitely._

"The Cullens came in."

"Oh?" Billy's eyes were questioning and Jacob was bored.

"Two of them were fighting. One wanted to drown the other in the lake- she came to get a tent to wrap him up with. The other wanted to tie her to a tree and leave her for the bears- he came for rope." Jake was interested now.

"Did you speak to them? Did you get involved?" Billy's tone was shocked and a little cruel now.

"A bit," I snapped. "Only enough to tell them I was doing fine and the tents were in aisle two. I mostly watched."

"Good. Say, Bella, are you feeling alright? You look a bit green…" he mentioned offhandedly. The next thing that happened I couldn't control.

I exploded.

* * *

Well, there you go! Dedications for this chapter are...

**attackoftheemo** (very very good guess! You got some things hit on! A lot, to tell you the truth). **TopazEyesx77**, **BellaandEdwardLover** (second guesses count!), and **amobutterfly25**

These are the people who guessed and guessed right or half right! (Some of you said she was a vampire... well, I ruled that out here. You all better know what she is now!!) Explanations for _why_... coming to a website near you, as soon as I get off my lazy butt and load it into documents. Oh and one more...

**MikalahStarrUley** (Sam is coming in soon, just to let you know! I'm guessing you like him)


	6. Wolf

This may be the last update for a while... cuz, well... I'm sorry but I'm going on vacation July 4th weekend AND then I'm going to camp until mid August. So if this is the last before then I'm really sorry. i tried not to end on a cliffy! So, some things are explained here. Please don't hurt me!! And remember guys, this is NOT JxB, no matter what happens! Not even one way JxB! It's JxB siblings relationship!

This is dedicated to MikalahStarrUley (whoo! Sam is here!) for being my beta, even though I didn't get it, and for promoting my fic in hers! Check it out- "Emmett at..." It's hilarious, especially the lastest chapter... infilitrating the White House. That actually started through a weird conversation of ours about weird friends... hm... yeah, I think we may out weird them, now that I think about it.

This chapter is in celebration of getting two people hooked on twilight in less than a week and a third going to read it as soon as she finishes reading A Great and Terrible Beauty, or whatever it's called... Oh yeah, I'm good! It's also in honor of the Host cuz I'm reading it now! it's a sad part though... NO SPOILERS!! I'm on chapter 43, Frenzied, if you were curious.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Sorry!

* * *

It felt like my insides were being torn out and my outsides were being forced in. The table toppled over and Jacob was thrown off his chair. Billy rolled back swiftly, his face shocked, curious, and even a bit scared.

I cried out in pain and fear, but it came out like a high whine. Startled by the unusual sound, I gave myself a once over. My skin was covered in long, tangled fur and I was _huge!_ Instead of hands and nails, I found paws and claws. My clothes lay ripped on the ground beside me.

What was _wrong_ with me?

Billy went reaching for the phone, and in an instant, it was up to his ear and ringing.

"Hello? Jared, can you get Sam on the phone?... Hi, Sam. Will you come over and help the newest pack member phase back? No, not him, not yet… Bella. Bella Swan… I don't know what happened but it did…. Sam, it's not a joke, I would appreciate that you took your duties responsibly and come help! I can't coach her through it!... I'll send her outside… She's got dark brown fur, like dark chocolate… Maybe bring Jared too, they know each other. Thank you. I'll see you later, then."

Billy set the phone down and turned to watch me with critical eyes. Speaking slowly and carefully, as if to not anger me, he directed me to the back of the house. Jake scrambled to the door to open it for me- I barely made it through. Of course, it doesn't help that I nearly knocked off the doorpost when I heard voices in my mind.

_Sam, what's going on?_ Jared's voice rang through my head.

_I don't know,_ an older, more mature voice admitted. _But either way, she's a werewolf and a werewolf is part of the family. We need to help._

_I guess… _

_What's going on?_ I freaked out. _Why do I hear... things?_ A low chuckling noise made me jump.

_Just wait, Bella. We'll be there in just a few seconds… I can see you, _Jared reassured._ Boy, Billy was right! Your fur __**is**__ like dark chocolate! Sam, I'm hungry!_

_You'll eat later. C'mon, _the other voice, Sam, I guessed said.

_You said I could sleep later… if I'm sleeping, how do I eat? I can't believe you woke me up at_ _seven to run the border!_

_The Cullens came by. Now shut up or I'll send you back!! Kim can scold you for me._

How was Kim involved? Suddenly, two wolves came crashing through the brush. They were both larger than me, much larger, and seemed more dangerous in a way. One was black at night and the other was brown, yet lighter than me.

They both looked at me disbelieving and even a little disappointed.

_Jared, go get clothes for her. Tell Billy I sent you._

The other wolf went running of into the woods, only moments later to be replaced by Jared. He came back and burst into the house, calling for directions to my room.

_I'll explain everything later, after you regain form. Now, I need you to calm yourself… find your human form…_ Sam though slowly, instructing me with calm serene tones. It only made my angrier.

_HOW?_ This was so frustrating!

_You can't turn back if you don't calm yourself._ I took a deep rattling breath, and for the next two hours, was coached back into my human form.

I quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt Jared had left on the ground for me. He was currently inside, eating. Sam dashed into the trees to change and emerged with a worried look.

"Jared! Come on, either share or get out here! Well… actually, get out here either way. But we're back!" he called and Jared crashed out the door and plopped down on the dirt. Sam joined him and they looked up expectantly at me. I sighed and got myself comfortable.

"What's going on with me?"

"To put it short… you're a werewolf. Protector of the tribe. Enemy to the Cold Ones. The problem is… you're not even part of the tribe!" Jared was pretty happy for such a puzzle.

"Werewolf? Cold Ones? I still don't understand!" Sam gave a glare to Jared, clearly telling him shut up. He launched into the legends of the wolves and their ancestors and the Cold Ones- vampires.

"So, we made a treaty about seventy years ago with a coven of Cold Ones. They had different eyes and they were supposed to be safe."

"Supposed to be? Have they violated it?" I interrupted, extremely curious with the stories.

"No… but they nearly did. Just this morning to! We don't trust them, either way," Jared scoffed, still grumbling over the fact that he had to get up to patrol.

"Two of them had some sort of fight… they were trying to chase each other into the water. Figures… their kind aren't supposed to live in large groups," Sam shrugged off, but was clearly annoyed. I felt connected to them in an odd way… like related, but not.

"Two of the Cullens had a fight, too. Rosalie actually came running in to find something to help drown Edward with!" I realized. "And Edward came to find rope to tie her up with!" The two boys shared a grave look.

"No wonder you smelled like leech!" Jared hissed, glancing at my hand. Sam set a hand on his shoulder, somehow holding him back. "They touched you? I'll get them if they hurt you!" I was shocked at their protectiveness. They noticed.

"Hey, we're a pack, we stand up for each other. Anyhow, _did_ they touch you?" Sam raised an eyebrow, waiting for my answer. I realized that they meant that the Cullens _were_ vampires. I had known before, but I had never accepted it. However, with recent events in light…

"Y-yeah, Mrs. Cullen just patted my hand, like in a comforting way." They shared another look before going into more explanations. They promised to go over everything else the next day at the tribal meeting. The mystery that was me would have to wait- night had fallen.

* * *

"Bella? Are you awake?" Jake's voice was small and childish as he tiptoed into my room that night. I was at the desk, writing an email to Renee.

"Yep. The lights are on, I'm moving, aren't I?" I retorted, whispering as well. Billy was asleep, and I couldn't blame him- it was a long day. But I couldn't drift off.

"Yeah, I guess." Jake sat himself cautiously on my bed as I typed.

* * *

**Dear Mom,**

**How are you and Phil? Things are good here in La Push… I still miss Dad, but things are going well. Jake and I have become real close- but don't get any ideas! He's like a little brother to me. Oh, and, speaking of that- will I be getting any **_**real**_** little siblings soon? Just kidding!**

**I've got tons of new friends here. I've told you about Kim, Hailey, and Lisa, right? Well, Jared is Kim's boyfriend and Sam is a friend of Jared's. I've recently began hanging out with them. They act like over protective brothers though! A kid from my old school- Edward Cullen, remember him from the hospital? He went near me and Sam nearly attacked. Tomorrow I get to meet his fiancé, Emily.**

**I've changed a lot since you last saw me. I guess you'll have to wait for me to visit to see!**

**Love,**

**Bella**

* * *

"Werewolf, huh?" Jake asked quietly, and I realized what was quieting him.

"Yep. I guess so." We just sat and stared at each other for a while.

"And the Cullens- they really are, aren't they?" I slowly nodded and moved closer to the boy. I was cautious with my thoughts and feelings- I couldn't hurt him, I wouldn't! "And will I become one too?"

"You should. It's in your blood, isn't it?" I comforted, but it only made him more upset.

"But it's not in yours! What if there was a glitch and you did instead of me and-" I interrupted his worries.

"Jacob, do you really want to be a wolf? The only thing that's messed up is me, so relax." He did so visibly and curled up in a ball beside me, staring at the blue walls and white clouds.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, Jake?"

"Don't leave me. Please. Promise." He was drifting off to sleep now. I lifted him easily and carried him to his room, stepping gingerly over clothes and car manuals.

"Go to sleep, Jake. We'll talk in the morning," I urged gently.

"You didn't promise! Bella, promise you won't leave me."

"I promise," I said sincerely and shut the lights.

* * *

No, that is not a hint of JxB. That is like an Edward/Alice relationship (sorry AxE shippers, but for me they are strictly siblings!). If you have read The Host, it's like the Wanda/Melanie and Jamie relationship. Unless of course something happens that I don't know about, but this love triangle is messed up as it is, so I don't think there WILL be... and that would be sort of sick anyways. Anyhow, he's saying "don't go away, I don't want you to leave me here all alone." Luv ya all!


	7. Blame it on Them

**This may be the last update for a while... cuz, well... I'm sorry but I'm going on vacation July 4th weekend AND then I'm going to camp until mid August. Now, I definitely answered some stuff here... and you guys are still concerned that it's JxB!! Alright, I said it wasn't definite that it would be ExB in the beginning, but just to settle you all down- It'll be ExB. It's been planned like that since the beginning, since before I began to write down my ideas. Bella and Jake are good friends, best friends, like siblings, but there is no romance between them! Kay? Kay. So remember, no matter what Bella says and the pack does, IT WILL BE ExB!! I don't want you all freaking out on me, I think I lost some readers because people thinking it was JxB. Still, there is some Edward bashing, i will not deny it! When you review, put "BD4E" somewhere, whether it be the beginning, the end, the middle... wherever. You'll see why soon :)**

**This is dedicated to MikalahStarrUley (whoo! Sam is here!) for being my beta, even though I didn't send it (maybe I should just beta this myself and throw ideas off of you! That usually what I do anyways... Besides, it'll probably work better, with you going away and me not getting the files.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight! Stephenie Meyer does!!**

* * *

"Bella, are you alright?" Billy asked me hesitantly as we drove through La Push. Jake was annoyed that he still had to go to school today, but I was nervous as could be. My hands were clammy, my forehead breaking out in sweat- what were they going to do? I wasn't supposed to be a part of the pack! Supposedly, girls weren't werewolves! And I wasn't even a Quiluete!

"Fine," I responded through clenched teeth. He looked over as me hesitantly as I gripped the steering wheel tight.

"Don't bottle it up, you'll just explode," he chided as if I were five. "Sam warned you, didn't he?" I sighed and tried to relax my mind and my temper. It was true, Sam and Jared had suggested that.

As we walked up to the front door of Jared's house, my arms trembled- not from anger, but from fear. I shakily knocked on the door and only seconds later was it flung open.

The women that opened the door was beautiful in a way. But one side of her face was twisted and I nearly gasped. She smiled warmly and ignored my gaping mouth.

"I'm Emily, Sam's fiancé. You must be Bella. And Billy, it's good to see you!" She grabbed me by the hand and I found myself being pulled into a kitchen. A woman, Jared's mother I guessed, was cooking up a storm. Billy followed closely behind.

Emily scanned the kitchen, as if counting the people. There was Billy, Jared's mother and father, Old Quil, Sam, and Jared.

Sam smiled warmly from the table and Jared waved. I raised my hand hesitantly. I couldn't help but feel self conscious as they surveyed me carefully.

"Sit down, Bella," Sam ordered quietly. I really didn't want to, but for some reason my legs forced me to walk forward. Jared snickered behind his hand and punched Sam in the arm playfully.

"We forgot to tell her about the orders!" he laughed. Sam rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Shut up, Jared." Jared's face fell and he glared, but didn't speak.

"Sam!" Emily chided. "Don't abuse the power!" Sam reversed the order and turned to me to explain.

"I'm the Alpha. If I give an order and I really mean it, you have no choice but to obey. I tend to forget at times though… hence the 'shut up, Jared.'" Jared rolled his eyes and retorted.

"Yeah, like that wasn't on purpose!" Sam didn't respond, but there was a definite twinkle in his eyes.

"So, Bella, have you heard of the latest pack gossip?" Jared's mother asked me animatedly, now taking a tray of muffins out of the oven.

"No," I frowned and the boys rolled their eyes.

"We couldn't have an untrained wolf fighting, sorry. We were afraid you'd cross the border without knowing- we haven't even shown it to you. Besides, it was no big deal, we took care of him no problem!" Sam relished, his calm demeanor fading.

"What happened?" I asked curiously. I couldn't help but feel like I should have been helping… maybe it had to do with the pack dynamic. Jared sighed and grumbled,

"Cullens were trying to get down to First Beach. The blonde girl was trying to drown one of the boys… he was running and ran across the border."

"It was hilarious!" Sam cried out. "He was looking real nervous, especially when we showed up! So, there he was with two choices- get killed by us or his sister. I think he was planning on just standing there until one of us attacked and then he'd do something."

"Were they hurt?" I asked worriedly. Jared gave me an incredulous look and I blushed scarlet.

"Why would we care? They're just bloodsuckers, really, it's not like it matters to-"

"Enough." Old Quil spoke softly, but powerfully. The werewolf crumbled under his gaze. His expression was hard, but kind. His eyes scrutinized me and I shivered. "You have no Quiluete background?"

"N-no, I don't think I do," I responded, stumbling over my words. The room was completely silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop. He nodded slowly and turned to the rest of the men in the room.

"Have any of you had any blood donations?" They shook their heads but Billy's eyes lit up.

"Jacob has," he whispered and our heads all snapped to stare at him. "Jacob donated blood a few months ago. He donated it to the Forks hospital. Where you got blood transfusions… oh, no!" His eyes grew wide and he gulped. "Jacob is donating blood again. Today. I-if someone gets it and…"

Sam stood so quickly, I didn't see. Jared joined him and I couldn't help but stand as well.

"Come!" Sam ordered and we filed out quickly to the backyard. I went into the bushes, discarded my clothes as I was told to, and joined the boys. I grabbed my clothes in my mouth and met them.

Bella, we need to go to the school and get Jacob out of school. We must go fast! Come on! Jared called out to me in his brain. I nodded and the longs legs began to move. They didn't feel like mine. I felt disconnected to my body, yet more connected than ever.

I arrived at the school just moments after the boys. I was panting quite hard and couldn't seem to catch my breath. As soon as I was in my human form again, I keeled over and gasped over and over.

"Can- you – not – go – so – fast?" I questioned, but the two were puzzled.

"We weren't going so fast, Bella," Sam provided helpfully. He helped me up and we dashed into school.

* * *

In the office, the secretary was harsh. The principal was harsher.

"Nice to see you in school, Jared." Oh, first names? I would have to keep that in mind for later! He had to have been in a lot of trouble! Unfortunately, that didn't last long. "Miss Swan, glad to see you joining us today. And Mr. Uley, I thought I was done with you years ago." She pursed her lips and glared. Sam remained confident.

"We need to take Jacob Black out of school. Now."

"He's about to give blood for the donations to Forks Hospital. It's a good cause! Can't it wait?" Jared's eyes went wide and Sam shook his head quickly.

"I'm sorry, that's not possible. Bella, go pull Jacob out of class," he demanded and I was about to protest when, under his breath so no one but me would hear, he added "No complaints. Go!"

I rushed out of the room as quickly as I could, stumbling through the halls. I was gasping for breath again by the time I got to Jacob's room. I knocked sharply on the door and burst in.

"I need to take Jacob Black out of school!" The teacher watched me curiously.

"Miss Swan, do you have the authority to do so?" I glanced instinctively at the boy that was like my brother. He was in the back, his head down as if he were sleeping. Heck, I think he was. Embry and Quil sat on either side, keeping watch.

"Jake, get up, Bella's here!" Embry hissed. Jake gave a start, nearly falling out of his chair.

"Wha?"

"Bella's here!" Quil repeated. "She looks different… did she cut her hair or something?"

"Maybe," Jake responded sleepily, gathering his books. It didn't seem to take long. He didn't even put them into his desk. In a few quick strides, he had joined me in the front of the classroom.

"Yes, I have authority," I growled unimpressively. The teacher quirked her eyebrow and reached for the phone.

"Hello… yes, I was just calling about that… she does? Since when? Ah, I see. Thank you." She hung up and stared at us, annoyed. "Jacob, if you needed to leave early for an appointment, you should have brought in a note. Go ahead, just be on time for finals tomorrow!"

I grabbed Jacob's wrist and pulled him out of the school, where Jared and Sam were waiting. One must have run back to get the car, because they were leaning on my red truck with noticeable tension. Relief flooded their faces as soon as they saw me. Sam didn't wait for us to buckle up to ask questions.

"Jacob, did you give blood in the beginning of the year?"

"Yes. Why?"

"What blood type are you?"

"Type A. Why?"

"And Bella? How about you?"

My voice was weak as I answered. "Type A."

"Dammit!" Jared groaned, slamming his hand onto the dashboard. He shook violently and it seemed to take all his might to calm down. "You must have had a lot of blood put into you, Bella, for this to happen! What did you do?"

"Got hit by a van, remember?" I snarled, and he seemed to calm down.

"So this is Jacob's fault," Sam decided. There was no question in his tone. It had authority and finality. I wasn't ready to finish this conversation though.

"Don't blame, Jacob," I defended. "He had no idea! Blame Tyler Crowley, is you need to blame anyone!"

We collectively sighed, Jacob being the only one left out of our little connection.

"Blame Taha Aki," Jared groaned.

"Blame the Cullens," Sam finalized, this time with an answer we could all agree on. "For cursing us with this hell."

I couldn't help but nod. It was all their fault. The putrid scent they gave off made me shudder. My hand still reeked, no matter how many times I had scrubbed it. Their presence made me into this.

I had never hated the vampires before, not really. When Sam and Jared had relayed the stories, I could only think that it didn't seem like the Cullens to be so terrible. I could only think that they were different than the other Cold Ones. Esme was so kind, Carlisle so helpful, Alice so perky, Jasper so quiet, Emmett so… okay, well maybe he seemed a little vampire like. Rosalie didn't seem like anything past a little vain, save for some violence towards her brother, but who didn't feel that? And Edward was just so mysterious, so perfect, even thinking of him took my breath away…

But they did this to me. They had turned me into an animal. I shook with anger and Jake inched away from me.

"They did this!" Tears burned my eyes as I forced myself to say it. "Them! It's their fault!" Jacob reached out to comfort me, but I slapped his hand away, curling into a ball. He winced slightly at my slap and withdrew. Tears rolled down my warm cheeks and breath came in short gasps. "They did this to me. They won't get away with this! They won't!"

The car came to a stop and I vaguely noticed Sam lifting me out of my seat. I sobbed harder yet as he laid me down on a bed.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I heard Billy's voice say from beside me.

"We figured it out." Jared was gruff. "Jacob gave blood last year and it got to Bella. She had a lot of blood put into her, obviously enough to make her a wolf. Oh yeah, and we've decided who to blame for this whole ordeal."

"Jacob?" Billy was incredulous.

"No, not Jacob… though Sam seemed set on that in the beginning. Bella wanted to blame Tyler Crowley, from Forks. I wanted to blame Taha Aki, to be honest. But then Sam, had a better idea – the Cullens."

The room fell silent.

"It makes sense," Old Quil remarked as my tears slowed. "The Cullens' presence at least. And now we know why she's like this."

"It just hit her, let her rest for a while," Same ordered quietly. Billy leaned forward to hug me and an overwhelming scent hit me. I sat straight up, coughing like crazy.

"What was that?" I managed between coughs. Billy smiled and pulled out a small pouch from beneath his shirt.

"The Cold One from the legends. I forgot you might be able to smell it."

"She seems to be more vulnerable to things like scents and she's smaller and not as fast," Sam informed. I hadn't really even noticed these things. "We're guessing she's not as strong and doesn't phase into a wolf as easily, though going human seems to be simple."

"Why?" I questioned, interested.

"Either because you're a girl or because you're not of Quiluete descent. We guess it could be either." Jared flopped on the bed as he said this, shaking me. "Probably the second. So, are you ready for some wolf training?"

I nodded, not sure what my answer should be.

"Good." Sam pulled me off the bed. "Cuz we have a lot of work to do."

**Hope you all liked it and I hope it answered your questions! If you have any remaining ones, let me know, I'll see if it's possible for me to answer. I also STRONGLY advise you to read my AN at the beginning!**


	8. Training

**Edit: Not a new chapter, sorry. I JUST noticed that when I saved it here, all my formatting went bye bye. I fixed it. So, same content, just easier to read.**

Wow, guys, I'm sorry I took so long. You see, I had finals and then was away for most of the summer and just had writers block for this. But my inspiration is back!! More Cullen stuff coming up later.

Thanks BellaandEdwardLover for kicking my butt into gear. This chapter's dedicated to you! Oh, and here's the alternate summary that she gave me because she was going crazy waiting for this chapter.

Tyler Crowley lost control of the van. Alice Cullen lost control of  
the future. Charlie Swan lost control of his life. Now, his daughter, Bella  
Swan, is losing control of her humanity, her heart, and her soul OH YEAH and  
Bellaandedwardlover lost her mind loving the story :)

So, thanks, BellaandEdwardLover!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

_

* * *

Can we stop now?_ I asked, panting mentally. Well, physically, too. Sam rolled his eyes.

_Take a break. A quick one._ I collapsed on the wet grass, breathing it in deeply with my ultra sensitive nose. I was a bit of a disappointment. I wasn't nearly as strong as the others, nowhere near as fast, and not even a bit as fierce. Yes, I hated the Cullens just as much as they did, but even that couldn't get me to work my body harder. Plus the fact that it was rather embarrassing when I burst out of my clothes. I started working as much as possible as I could with patrol and training so I could buy some new clothes.

Billy insisted it was no big deal and that he could buy me some more, but I ignored him. I came to wearing loose dresses with built in bras, to minimize my load. It was super uncomfortable, as I was naturally a jeans girl, but I couldn't walk around with no shirt like the guys did.

_Come on, Bella! Wanna wrestle?_ Jared was enthusiastic to have me in the pack. He thought of me as a little sister and often. I promise I'll go easy on you! I shook my head, closing my eyes.

_Not right now, I'm tired. I was patrolling all night._

_Fine._ Jared took a spot next to me, ignoring the stares from our Alpha.

_Bella! Jared! Get up! I want to work on your fighting techniques. Bella, just watch this time. Jared, front and center._

I watched, bored as they once again, lunged for each other, again and again. Only when Jared was pinned under Sam was he allowed to stop.

_Jared, what's wrong with you? You know not to go for the obvious kill! Bella, next._

I picked myself off and shook the leaves out of my fur. I was burning up in the heat. It was cloudy and rainy, but the heat was at least up to eighty. School started in just three weeks and I dreaded it, knowing I would have even less time on my hands.

"It'll be fine, Bella. I'll help you stay awake in class," Kim had assured me when I told her my fear of falling asleep. "And if I can't, I'll try and give you an excuse."

I lunged at Sam, my teeth biting at his ankle. He evaded it quickly and twisted around so that he was out of my eyesight. I swerved and crouched down, into a defensive manner.

He rushed towards me, teeth bared. I jumped up and landed on top of him, crushing him into the ground.

_Good work, Bella. Good work._ I heard his reluctance to continue. He wanted to say that fighting was actually the thing I was good at. I knew it was true, and Jared had brought it up more than once.

_Lord, Bella, you fight like a vampire! Sometimes I think you were meant to be a Cullen, not part of the pack._ I shrugged. He had a point. My fighting style wasn't one of a wolf's. But I was odd anyways. And it worked.

_Oh, really? Like a vampire? So, does that mean if you can beat me, you can beat a vampire?_

_Probably. Why?_

_Just wondering._ I threw myself at my brother, growling playfully. He was so off guard that I was able to knock him over with no problem. _Hm. Seems like you're not ready for a vampire fight, are you?_

_Bella, get off of Jared! Training is over. Go phase back._ I closed my eyes as his presence started to fade in my mind. Ew, I did not need to see him naked! Nor Jared! I ran into the trees where I kept my dress and threw it on over my human body.

"Are you all dressed?" I shouted out.

"Yes," they replied in monotone. I came back out, throwing my hair into a ponytail.

"It's all knotty again," I muttered. "I need better detangler."

"No," Sam said suddenly, watching me. "No, I don't think that's what you need. You need to cut your hair. We all had to, to keep it from being a problem when we phased. Your fur is a mess. It'll only hinder you in a fight."

"A fight? Sam, do you honestly think the Cullens are going to break the treaty? Even I can't deny that they seem pretty pleasant."

"Just in case." I sighed.

"Sam, I don't see how it's necessary to –."

"Do I need to make it an order or are you going to do it with your own free will?" I grumbled, annoyed, but decided that I would rather do it by choice.

* * *

"Carlisle, do you think it's a good idea to go in there?" I heard Mrs. Cullen ask quietly to her husband. I was working and extremely bored. Still, it was better than more drills. I pushed my chin length hair behind my ear and tapped the counter. Business was super slow today.

The Cullens had returned to the shop. I could smell them, the sickly sweet filling my nose. I resisted the urge to cough. There were only three of them this time.

"Alice, stop bouncing."

"I smell werewolf, though!"

"Alice, dear, please stop."

"I smell werewolf, but it's not familiar. You don't think the pack grew, do you?" I grinned to myself, wondering how they would react to the fact that I was the werewolf.

"Maybe. We'll see. But be civil! Remember that." Dr. Cullen's voice was slow and calculating, trying to control their daughter.

"I just want to meet one. I wasn't there when the treaty was made, remember? I want to meet a werewolf!" I sucked in as much fresh air as possible as the door jingled. Little Alice sped by to the tents. She returned moments later with a pink one and a credit card. Carlisle and Esme went off to the food aisle and let her be.

"Here, I'd like to get this," she smiled at me pleasantly. I suppressed a snarl and took the tent to scan. I was concentrating so hard on not choking on the air that the tent slipped. The metal poles hit my foot and when I bent down to pick it up, I toppled over.

An icy hand was on my arm. I shuddered – it was so cold that it made my arm numb. I yanked myself away from Alice's grasp.

"Don't touch me," I whispered, not loud enough for Mrs. Newton to hear.

"Sorry," she whispered. "It's just… I've never met a werewolf before. And I thought you had to be Quiluete. And a boy."

"So did I and then I got hit by a van and had to get blood transfusions with werewolf blood in them."

"Oh." She stopped talking and handed me the tent again. I scanned it quickly and dumped it into a bag. I took the card from the counter, where she had put it, obviously avoiding any possible contact. "Rosalie doesn't like you much, even as a human. I'm guessing she'll hate you even more now. I mean, you get all the super human abilities and you can have a kid. No bloodlust either." My brow furrowed.

"Who said I could have a kid? My body is as frozen as yours!"

"Yeah, right."

"No, I'm serious. I don't have my cycle anymore. I'm physically twenty-five until I stop phasing."

"Wow. Maybe she won't hate you that much. It's a shame about your hair, though. Why did you cut it? It was so pretty and long!"

"I had to. Long hair is hard to manage when you're a wolf," I muttered, the pixie annoying me more and more every second.

"Am I annoying you? I'm sorry, I'm just very curious." I handed her the bag and she took it, smiling. "Thanks. Carlisle, Esme, I'm done! Did you find the stuff that Emmett wants?"

"No, it wasn't there," Esme said. Carlisle shrugged.

"Figures. I told him they don't sell bear at normal stores," Alice mumbled. "Anyhow, Carlisle, Esme, look who's here again!" She placed her hand on mine and I flinched. "Bella Swan!" I wrenched myself away and bared my teeth.

"I told you not to touch me, bloodsucker!" I hissed. She pulled away, her gold eyes wide. Mrs. Cullen pushed Alice behind her protectively.

"I'm awfully sorry, Bella," Dr. Cullen apologized. "Alice is too curious for her own good. Go out and wait for us, will you?"

"Carlisle! I'm not four!"

"Alice…"

"Alright, alright, I'm going." Mrs. Cullen followed.

"We'll be sure to stay off of La Push. But my children do go to school in Forks and I do work here. I can't avoid you completely, especially this place, seeing as our cover on sunny days in camping. But we can certainly try. Good luck, Bella." He turned to leave, but stopped and faced me again. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Tell your Alpha to give you a break once in a while. It wouldn't be good if you were too tired to fight or patrol. You look exhausted. And, just as a suggestion, Bella, as you look highly uncomfortable in that dress, get sweatpants and tank tops. They'll work fine." My mouth dropped. How the heck did he know this stuff? "I've been alive a very long time, longer than I look. I pick things up. Good bye. Have a nice day. Oh, and if my daughter, Rosalie, comes by – feel free to bite her. She's annoying Edward, who is annoying Jasper, who gets everyone annoyed when he's annoyed."

And he walked off.

"Strange, strange people, these Cullens," I muttered under my breath. I didn't know that half of it.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Alice is the best. Originally, I had Rosalie going, but Alice is much more fun to write! I wrote this whole chapter in less than a day, seriously. Be proud of me! Well... you don't have to be. I'd like you to be, though! I hope you enjoyed it! Feedback ROCKS!


	9. Gravity Changes

**Whoa... this was written ages ago, but I forgot to post it!! Soo sorry guys!! Anyhow, here's some more fun... and I'm sure you'll all be pleased. Unless you're Team Jake... but how you can be Team Jake after Breaking Dawn, I don't know. I still love him, but Jake/Bella? Soo last book! Haha, poor Nessie... her mother kissed her best friend/brother/boyfriend/husband/soul mate. Just kidding, I totally see the Team Jake aspect. Still like Jessie (ha, that's cool! Tabloid name is a real name! Then again, Renesmee is a tabloid name on it's own) and Bedward. And Seth/me (cuz he's adorable... I need to work him in somehow). Enjoy! **

**I do not own Withering Heights or Twilight.**

* * *

I curled up into my little rocking chair, reading Wuthering Heights yet again. My things were prepared for school the next day and I was relaxing before my shift. I finally had some free time. My eyes began to close, slowly, letting exhaustion take over.

A wolf's cry woke me in a second. I dropped my book and raced out of the house towards the woods. But I didn't quite make it in time to remove my dress, as I had still taken to wearing. After all, why would I take a bloodsucker's advice?

Slightly annoyed, but not stopped, I raced towards the picture Sam was sending me and Jared.

_Lost your dress, again, Bella?_

_Ugh, you make it sound so wrong!_ I chided my brother.

_Are you sure there's not at least one guy that you want to lose your dress to?_

_Jared, I am absolutely sure. I have too much to worry about without adding ROMANCE to the mix._

_Ah, come on! Kim and I have been going out for ages. Aren't you curious about who your imprint is?_

_Nope. Not at all._

_I don't believe you._

_Both of you, stop fighting! And hurry up. We have a Cullen on our land!_ Sam's announcement made everything seem different. _Bella, hurry up. You can probably fight like him, match his moves. Jared, just hurry!_

I ran faster the wind whipping my face. By the time I got to the correct spot, Sam was wrestling whoever it was. I couldn't see which one, only that Sam was winning.

Sam growled viciously.

_Yes, finally, some fun around here! _Jared cheered.

"Go ahead. Go ahead, kill me," the Cullen said – no, begged. "Go ahead, I don't care. You'll have fun with it." I moved a bit to the side, to get a better view of this fight – and stopped dead, my breath caught in my throat.

I didn't even have time to contemplate how I had never seen the way the universe worked, though I did later. It was so obvious. The sickly sweet scent burned my nose, but I didn't give it a second thought. It seemed natural. It seemed like him.

And Sam was killing him.

_NO!_ I pushed Sam out of the way and he stared at me incredulous. Edward, as I now saw, sat up, his golden eyes questioning.

"Bella? Is that you?"

I nodded once. Sam and Jared phased back and went to get dressed, trying to give me the gift of privacy.

"Oh. I see," he whispered. "You wanted to be the one to kill me." I shook my head frantically and his brow wrinkled. "Why can't I hear you anymore?" I shrugged and just watched him stare. I could do that all day if I had to, if I could.

"Bella!" Sam was running back towards me. His house was closest. He dumped a pair of old basketball shorts and a large shirt nearby. I ran to the trees and changed as quickly as possible. He turned to Edward with distaste but near tolerance. "Your mind is really messed up," he muttered before turning away.

"Sam, no!" I hissed. "Come back here! What is going on?"

"Bella, what were your thoughts when you see the bloodsucker?"

"Don't call him that," I responded instantly, naturally. "That… the universe… my universe, at least, revolves around him and us and all I want to do is make sure he's safe."

"There you go. That's called imprinting. Now, I need to go before I kill your imprint!"

"Wha-?" He raced away and left us standing there alone.

"What's an imprint?" Edward hissed. "What the hell have you done to me?"

"Nothing, nothing, I haven't done anything," I assured him. He was still on the ground. I grabbed his hands gently, ignoring the numbing cold, and pulled him to his feet. He flinched.

"Ouch," he winced. I noticed a clear-ish liquid oozing onto my hand. I wiped it on his shirt, laughing at the thought of what Sam would do if I got venom on his clothes.

"He cut you?" I asked quietly, flipping his hand over so I could see his palm. There was a small cut, not very large and not serious at all. Either way, it pained me for him to be injured.

"I wanted him to. I wanted to be killed. That was the point of coming here. Are you here to torture me? Is that why you exist? First, your blood, which doesn't smell so appetizing any more, and then you turn into a mutt, and now you won't let me die! Not to mention that I can't read your thoughts!"

"You hear thoughts?" I breathed, fascinated. I wanted to know everything about him. "That's amazing."

"What's going on? One minute you all want me dead, the next you're like…. Like you're in love!"

"Am I? Is this what being in love is? If you don't feel the same, it's okay. All I want to do is make sure you're happy and safe and… I don't even have an explanation for this. It all sounds so stupid."

"What is going on?"

"I imprinted on you."

"Imprinted?"

"It's what happens when a werewolf finds his or her soul mate. I found mine. It's you."

"Impossible!" he muttered. "It can't be possible in any way."

"I didn't think it was possible to happen, either. But maybe it was because I wasn't originally going to be a werewolf, I was supposed to be human, and you were my soul mate then. Either way, it doesn't matter. Not to me."

"No, not that, though it does sound insane!" he growled. "How can I be your soul mate, when I don't have a soul?" I laughed, but when I noticed it upset him, stopped instantly.

"You can't not have a soul," I whispered. "You're too wonderful to not have one."

"Let me go home," he requested, his voice wavering. "Please, just let me go. I won't come on your land again, I promise!"

"But… Edward, I want you here. You can go, I don't mind, as long as it makes you happy. But please, I want to see you again. I… I don't know what else to say. I want to be with you, I guess."

His cell phone buzzed and before I could blink it was on his ear.

"Hello, Alice. I'm having a bit of a dilemma –"

"Why did you disappear and why did the rest of the family disappear, too?" I heard her hiss.

"I… it's a long story and I'm waiting for a better explanation. But I'll be home soon, I promise. I'm never going to La Push again, I can tell you that. And they're scared of us," he added in a low murmur. He was scared of me? Oh, no. Had I come on too strong?

"Edward, I'm sorry for frightening - ." He held up a hand, listening to what Alice was saying.

"I'll be home soon. Yes. Goodbye." He snapped the phone shut and his golden eyes gazed at me carefully.

"You're an odd creature, Bella Swan." I smiled shyly.

"Are you scared of me?"

"No." The way he said it, it seemed laughable. "But I don't understand what's going on. Sure, I understand what you mean by 'imprinting,' I've heard enough to understand it. But I can't be here. I can't be having a relationship with a werewolf. It's against my nature! I know that it's against yours as well. And according to Alice, it affects my whole family!"

"I'm sorry, so, so, so sorry. If you want nothing to do with me, I won't contact you or anything. As long as you're happy." He didn't talk, just stared at me.

"That's not the problem. The whole reason I came here was because I'm in love with you. According to Jasper, that's what this is. The feeling I get when I think about you, the twisting of my stomach when I see you, the way I just want to know where you are… He says that's love."

"How would he know?"

"He senses emotions. And Alice sees the future, but not werewolves, which is why she's a little annoyed at me for being here."

"Amazing. But what does that have to do with being here?"

"Alice told me you were a wolf. And I couldn't stand it anymore. I just wanted to be dead, so I wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. I don't know how or why I'm so in love with you."

"It's because I'm your soul mate, too." He squinted his eyes, scrutinizing me.

"Maybe. If I had a soul, that would be it. But I need to go and try to figure out how to explain this to my family without getting killed."

"You don't have to tell them!"

"My family keeps no secrets. Much like you and your 'brothers.'" I nodded, an idea coming to me.

"There's a tribal council tonight. We're having a bonfire, it's not one of the serious meetings. We all bring our imprints. You can come!"

"I'm not welcome on this land."

"They can't keep an imprint out. For all technical purposes, you're part of the tribe. Part of the pack."

"They won't be pleased."

"No," I agreed. "They won't. But they won't hurt you. They can't. Don't you see? It's against the rules to harm the imprint! You and your family are safe from us! Though I suppose they'll want to keep the treaty intact."

"Bella!" Jared yelled out for me, striding towards us quickly. "We've told Billy and Old Quil and Harry. They said that we're going to have the meeting a little earlier. Starting at five, so we can have time for some serious business before stories."

"Oh, storytime! Yay!" I yelled sarcastically.

"Come on, the stories are so much better when you know they're true. It makes such a difference from when you were a little kid being told them while going to bed."

"I never heard them until a few months ago."

"All the reason to hear them again. Besides, Kim is going to be there. She wants to compare school outfits or something."

"Can I skip?" I glanced towards Edward, who was inching his way out.

"The whole reason is for you. And your bloodsucker, I guess."

"Don't –."

"Call him that, I know. Instinct, sorry. Emily will be there, too. Please, Bella? Billy said that you could even bring him. He was pretty hesitant, but it's unfair for us to have our imprints and you not to."

"Let me ask. Edward would you like to join us?" He was already about two yards away. "It's at five. You have permission to come."

"I… I'll have to ask my family. Could one of them come with me?"

"Sure!" I said just as Jared said, "No!" I shot him a glare and he gave up.

"Fine."

"We'll see, then." And Edward was gone. My heart ached instantly. Would he ever come back?

* * *

"Bella," Billy said softly, resting his hand on mine. I was waiting at the borderline, watching the setting sun. "He's not going to come."

"He will! He was just checking with his family. He'll be here."

"He's a vampire, Bella."

"He's my imprint. I love him."

"I know you do. But let's go to the meeting." I sighed and agreed. Suddenly, a silver car halted, and out came Edward.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, gaping at the Volvo.

"Do you really want to get into that? Because, you see, Bella, doctor school I may have gone to, but I'm not licensed to give the Sex Ed classes." I blushed and he chuckled. "I drive fast," he explained.

"Oh. I see."

"Bella!" Alice, the perky little girl she was, jumped out of the backseat and ran forward to hug me.

"Edward, I swear, you bring her back harmed and I'm going to murder you," a low voice said as he got out. Jasper slid out from the seat and glared at him.

"You only said it ten times, and thought it twenty more."

"Oh, right, I forgot something." He closed his eyes, concentrating and Edward winced.

"Ow. Alright, alright, I'll make sure none of them hurt her. Can I, though?"

"No!"

"Oh, stop being ridiculous, Jasper. I can fight him. So, Bella, you start school tomorrow, right? What are you wearing?"

"Um, sweatpants and a shirt?"

"What?" she shrieked. "Oh, boy, you need help."

"It's a werewolf thing," I explained. "We need to be ready to change quickly. And our clothes don't change with us. They explode. I'd rather not ruin my jeans, thank you very much. My sweatpants are easier to slip in and out of."

"Why do you have to be ready in school?"

"School doesn't really matter anymore. We only go for the sake of keeping the secret. Jared missed first period every single day last year, until he imprinted on Kim, of course. Then he made sure to get to every class."

"Oh, I see."

Edward and Jasper were talking in low tones, but I saw that it had turned to a playful mood. I let Alice chatter for a bit before Billy tapped my shoulder.

"We better go. Harry's here to pick me up. Can they run?"

"Alice, do you mind running?" She shook her head.

"And Edward loves to run," she added. "He loves to race." And so, Billy rolled over to Harry, who helped him into the car and drove off. We would beat them there if we left within the next five minutes.

"Edward!" Alice chirped. "Come on!" Jasper gave his brother a pointed look and Edward grimaced.

"I'll have her back alive, well, and before one."

"Our meetings aren't that long," I whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. "Alice and I are going to see a new movie. Besides, she decided to stir up some trouble with the townsfolk, and we even got permission from her husband and Carlisle."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Oh, the usual pregnancy scare, cheating on her boyfriend with her brother, something like that. We haven't decided which yet."

"I say do both," I offered and he turned to me, shocked.

"What?"

"Both. Pregnancy scare with her brother."

"Bella, you realize how wrong that is?" I shrugged just as Alice let out a cry of joy.

"Yes! Perfect! It's not wrong, it's beautiful! So, we'll go to the drugstore, act all couply, and I'll buy a pregnancy test. The person at the register will be someone from school, so all I have to do is say 'Don't tell Jasper, please,' and it's done!"

"We're having a baby," Edward muttered darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To get my sister pregnant. To be honest, I never wanted to get anyone pregnant."

"That's because you were raised in prudish times, oh old one." I laughed and decided to rush them along.

"Come on, we need to get there. Follow me. But wait until I go wolf!" I transformed in the trees and scooped my clothes into my mouth. I growled for them to follow me and they did.

We ran through the trees effortlessly. They were smooth and graceful as I leaped on my four feet. My brothers were joining me by now.

_Holy shit!_ Jared had exclaimed. _The Cullens are actually here!_

_Yes, and you will be nice!_ I ordered.

_Alright, alright. Sam, you there yet?_

Sam faded out.

_Good, answer my question! Good job being Alpha!_ I laughed a wolfy bark, but chided him anyways.

_He's got a lot to handle, and I can't say that some isn't my fault. Alpha's aren't supposed to have non-Quiluete girls turn into werewolves and then imprint on the very vampire he was trying to kill. Or it could be you that's the problem._ I paused for a second. _Yes, definitely you._

_Nice. Real nice._

_I know! I am, aren't I?_

_Bella?_

_Yeah?_

_You're letting the little girl bloodsucker get to you. I really think that the family is a hazard to your health._

_Whatever, Jared. If you remember correctly, I'm a hazard to myself. Jared? Jared?_

But he was gone by then. I spotted the thinning of trees and sped off to the side, telling the two vampires to go ahead and wait at the end for me. I was changing into my clothes when Alice asked me a question.

"Bella, why do you always go to the side when changing? At least with your pack."

"I'm kind of naked, aren't I?" I pointed out, slipping into my sandals. "I love the guys, but nobody wants their brother to see them naked. Except, of course, for you and Edward, and the pregnancy scandal." She giggled and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the bonfire. I could already smell the ashes and the hotdogs. I wrenched myself out of her grasp and walked ahead, stopping at Edward.

"Ready?" I asked him.

"No. But I guess I should get this over with." And we stepped into the spotlight.

* * *

**Dum dum DUM!! Well, a bunch of you saw this coming, so I don't think you're all that surprised. But if you are, let me know!**


End file.
